Nevermore Now Available In Print!

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Special Fiction Writing Week at Men With Pens

All this week Men With Pens have been offering advice to
fiction writers. Articles feature creating characters,
settings, and more. While not directly related to GMing,
this series is a fantastic resource for world builders,
PBeM, and GMs who do a lot of background development and
plotting.

Here's another cool series at DungeonMastering.com you'll
want to check out:

Antagonist Answers Adventurers

Roleplaying Tips reader Morgan poses the following question:

Why do bad guys with plenty of resources at their disposal
always send minions that are of an appropriate difficulty as
the PCs? When they become a thorn in the side of the
antagonist, why aren't they dealt with swiftly by the guys
they will be facing a few levels down the road?

I sent this question to RPT subscriber Michael Crown and
here is his response:

Let's not stereotype all our villains, shall we? On second
thought, you have it right. We DMs stereotype villains
often.

That's the out-of-game reason for what you notice, but what
about in-game reasons?

An evil antagonist does not believe in the right to life. He
is likely to kill his minions for slight mistakes or because
they are too powerful and are becoming a threat. The result?
Minions will be weaker than the leader and will be weak
enough not to be perceived as a threat.

Minions are not likely to advertise their failures. They
will lie to the boss and probably avoid facing adventurers
that can hurt them. This causes the boss to send weak,
unintelligent minions against the adventurers while the
stronger minions are busy doing their hair if they can get
away with it.

Worse, disorganized villains have trouble gathering a team.
They will have minions who don't follow orders and won't
respect the boss's wishes. Once again, weak, disorganized
minions against the adventurers.

But what about the intelligent and wise villain? Even
here, they will have problems. A wise antagonist will not
send his most powerful minions. It is funny how often the
PCs think they are the primary bane of all evil in the
world. The villains must laugh during their lunch break in
the villain staff room about the egocentrism of the most
recent party of adventurers considering the avatars, the
monsters, the militaries and other really BIG threats that
villains face. That's where their major minions are, dealing
with the big problems. So from that angle, the PCs get the
leftovers.

Have you ever actually looked at a group of adventurers?
When was the last time your PCs shaved? Bathed? Deloused? If
you saw a bunch of hoboes, no matter how many weapons they
had on their back, who spent most of their time arguing with
each other, would you do more than summon your least minion
and say, "Keep an eye on them while I deal with King Azoun's
army?"

Why send any minion that would add to the enemy's strength
if defeated? Minions with magic items - why risk them? Send
the goblins and kobolds and watch. Are the adventurers a
threat? Can they be diverted? Can a lesser minion be
sacrificed as the Head Bad Guy to mislead the PCs? Can you
get rid of your most difficult minions by sending them
against an equally strong party so they mutually destroy
each other?

Maybe there is wisdom to sending lesser minions to deal with
adventurers. Maybe the PCs have been very successful at
being mislead. Are you sure the main antagonist isn't aware
of the same stereotype and using it every time?

Before we assume the worst, let's take a look at who spreads
these stereotypes.

The Twilight Sector Campaign Setting Sourcebook

Welcome to the raggedy edge of human space, The Orion
Frontier. This is the edge of human exploration. Rimward
from here, There be Dragons! No star chart or encyclopedia
tells us what lies beyond, only whispered tales of scouts
and pirates provide us myth-inspired answers.

The Twilight Sector lies on the edge of the edge. Filled
with mystery and wonder, The Twilight Sector Campaign
Setting Sourcebook introduces the new Traveller compatible
campaign setting from Terra/Sol games.

Your Teacher Was Right - How To Create Adventures With The 6 W's

The six W's. You know -- the questions your teacher talked
about over and over. The ones that every book on how to
write covers: who, what, when, where, why, how. These
questions are good for more than creative writing and
literature analysis; they form a framework you can use to
build game adventures.

We'll take each question in turn, but you don't have to use
them in the order given here. I tend to jump back and forth
between questions as I develop scenarios and adventures.
Have you ever used any of these to create adventures?

Who

This covers all the people (including familiars, animal
companions, talking ficus trees...) involved in the
adventure:

The PCs: if possible, make a note of something about each
of the PCs that could be relevant to the planned mission.

Major NPCs: this includes the main villain of the
adventure, as well as henchmen and hirelings of the party,
familiars, animal companions, NPC party members, as well as
the person who gives the mission to the party (if any).

The players: Think about each of your players. What aspect
of roleplaying suits each player? What aspect(s) does the
group as a whole seem to prefer? This will help you make
sure you have something for everyone.

Who wants the mission to succeed? Which NPCs are pulling
for the PCs and what are their motives? Why do they want the
PCs to succeed?

Who wants the mission to fail? Which NPCs will benefit
from the mission's failure? What will they gain from that
failure?

What

This covers the details of the mission at hand:

The mission: set clear, tangible, and reachable goals for
your mission, goals that will allow the PCs to know whether
they've succeeded or failed without you having to tell them.

What maps do you need to have or create?

What props do you want to use?

What special items (if any) do the PCs need to complete
the mission?

When

This covers the time period the game will take place in:

Real-world date: I often find it useful to note the real-
world date I start a new adventure on.

In-game date: what is the in-game starting date?

What season will the adventure take place in? Climate and
weather can add interesting obstacles to the adventure.

Time frame: does the mission have a deadline?

Where

This covers the details of where the adventure will take
place:

Starting location: where does the adventure start?

Ending location: where does the adventure end?

What other locations are important in this adventure?

What customs, languages, and laws of these locations might
the PCs need to know about?

Why

Often, this question is overlooked, but it can be the most
critical. It covers the reasons for the adventure in the
first place, as well as the character's motivations for
undertaking it:

Necessity: why is this mission required?

Why the PCs? Why do the characters need to be ones to do
it? If possible, list some personal reasons why each of the
characters would undertake this mission.

What are the rewards for completing the mission
successfully, both for the game world and for the PCs,
collectively and separately?

What are the consequences of failure, both for the game
world and for the PCs, collectively and separately?

How

This question covers the methods the PCs can use to obtain
the mission goals.

Be flexible: the PCs will probably complete the mission in
a way you never even thought of.

Be prepared: even so, you should have a least a couple of
ideas how the PCs might successfully complete it.

This will allow you to throw them some hints if they get
really stuck or start going off on an unrelated tangent.

Creating adventures can be daunting. The above questions
should help get your imagination running. Of course, you may
not need to answer all of the above questions for every
adventure you create.

And you should certainly feel free to change or add more
questions of your own. The whole idea here is to give you a
solid framework to start building an adventure; as usual,
fold, spindle, twist, and mutilate to fit your needs.

* * *

About the Writer

I've been gaming since August of 1980 when I crashed a D&D
game at summer camp. Little did I know that I'd started a
life-long addiction that day. Since then, I've GM'ed
everything from D&D to World of Darkness to Toon. Basically,
if I can get my hands on it, I'll try to run it.

For Your Game: 10 Culturally-Rich Characters

Want a character with a background that's just a little
different? Here are ten examples.

1. Lerena Lakrim

Lerena "Lynx" Lakrim, a ranger, grew up in a small town
where none could best her skill at blades. When she heard of
the Daikort Pack mercenaries she sought them out, finally
catching up to them in the midst of an uncharted jungle.

She earned her name then, helping the pack by pouncing on
their enemies and ripping them apart. Five years later, the
challenges of mercenary work are no longer enough to sustain
her. She's taken to the road in search of greater
adventures, even if it means leaving her packmates behind.

2. Arekan Tenlands

Arekan "Fox" Tenlands, a ranger, had never heard of the
Daikort Pack until he found one member knocking at his door
in the dead of night. An army was on the way, he was told,
and his cousin, an Alpha, had requested that a few of the
pack get his long-lost kinfolk to safety.

A few harried nights of breakneck flight later, Arekan
joined the pack himself. He's never forgotten the men who
saved his life, and even after ten long years of mercenary
work, he still feels he hasn't paid off his debt.

He's finally left the pack, going out in search of his other
far-flung kindred. He hopes to repay the favor done to him,
and perhaps find a few likely recruits for the next
generation of packmates.

3. Maloc of the Elessim

Maloc, a ranger, would rather build his fortune breeding
horses than taking them by force. But he is not content to
breed ordinary horses, settling for mounts that are merely
faster or stronger than those of his neighbors.

He has heard of far off places where horses of legend dwell:
celestial chargers, nightmares, and even unicorns. To find
and bring back a magical stallion or mare, and begin a line
of supernaturally empowered horses, would make him the
wealthiest breeder on the plains.

Leaving his herds in the care of his son, he is prepared to
ride to the end of the earth in pursuit of his dream.

4. Lea of the Elessim

Lea, a ranger, was a mildly prosperous breeder who was
thinking about starting a family. All that changed when one
of the plains' infamous wildfires ripped through her fields,
scattering her herds and sending her livelihood up in
flames. Now she can hardly look at a four-legged beast
without smelling burnt horseflesh.

A few days of relying on the kindness of her kinfolk is one
thing, but the thought of staying trapped on her once-
beloved plains for the rest of her life is, all of a sudden,
too much to bear. Begging a bow and some supplies from her
older sister, she's ready to start a new life.

5. Kallista Ikanos

Kallista, a ranger and descendent of Keresa, loves the stark
beauty of her arctic home. She can't imagine how foreigners
in their cramped cities can ever tolerate not witnessing
anything as glorious as a sunset over a glacier, or as pure
as blood spattered on white snow.

Half of her pack is filled with hides and pigments, though
she despairs of ever truly capturing the beauty of the
wilds. A passing traveler admired her art, and told her of a
faraway city where they paint on canvasses as white as the
snow, with colors as bright as the sun at midday. She isn't
convinced that such a thing truly exists, but she will stop
at nothing to find it, even if it means leaving the land she
loves.

6. Pollodorus Ikanos

Pollodorus, a warlord and descendant of Pollon, has always
secretly considered himself a little more than just a
descendant. Words have never failed him in a time of need,
and his kin have rallied to his banner ever since his arms
were strong enough to lift it.

He has an uncanny knack for turning any situation to his
advantage - well, almost any. He still hasn't found a way to
work his wiles on women, and after being scorned one too
many times, he's ready to leave it all behind. Women - and
men - of the heathen southlands will surely have a greater
appreciation of his silver tongue, not to mention his
bulging arms beneath the swirling tattoos. Pollodorus
believes he is destined for glory, and if he must seek it in
barbarian lands, so be it.

7. Livia Caelus

Livia, a rogue, delights in sneaking around. She doesn't
much care as to the purpose, be it stealing documents,
eavesdropping on state secrets, or committing murder.

All of it comes as easily to her as breathing. After her
term in the Arytyn Legion's infiltrators, she left to pursue
greater challenges. She's sure that somewhere in the wide
world there's a place even she will have difficulty sneaking
into, and she'll keep looking until she finds it.

8. Marcus Iucundus

Marcus, a fighter, left the Legion as a distinguished
officer and quickly embarked on a career in politics. When
he crossed the wrong council member he found himself exiled
to a diplomatic position in a faraway city.

His caravan there was ambushed, and only he escaped. Rather
than return home in disgrace, he's determined to find some
way to redeem himself or, failing that, gather enough wealth
to have a comfortable retirement.

9. Cobalt Sailorsson

Cobalt, a warlord, grew up sailing across the seas, never
staying longer than a few weeks in any one port. He once
dreamed of captaining a ship of his own, but after a few
near-shipwrecks too many, he decided that his future travels
would be confined to land.

Ill-equipped to deal with the dusty world of streets and
cities on his own, he now seeks companions to journey with.
He's willing to go anywhere, so long as there's solid earth
beneath his feet.

10. Lady Sila of Rekrin

Lady Sila, a fighter, was raised by a family of nobles, and
brought up in their clan's tradition of martial prowess.
Shortly before attaining her majority, she encountered a
group of traveling Sijara, and felt a strange sense of
belonging.

She'd always known that she'd been adopted; at last, she had
a hint of her original kin. With the wanderlust in her blood
finally awakened, she travels with the goal of finding more
of her scattered people.

Want more characters from cool cultures, and all the
information you need to make your own? Check out Martial
Flavor.

Game Master Tips & Tricks

1. Game Mastering in Another's Campaign: Guest GMing Tips

Everything about Heroic Cthulhu is available at
http://heroiccthulhu.proboards105.com/index.cgi

GMing in other people's campaigns gives the main GM a break
now and then - even if it is for a short module. A happy GM
who isn't suffering burnout runs better adventures for
everyone.

Be careful on how much money, treasure, magic and high-
powered stuff you release into the world. Less is more.
Giving a lot of any of these things can mess up someone's
campaign. Try to use stuff that is either one shot or ends
when your game does. This also goes for altering the
characters in a significant way, such as giving them super
powers.

If you are going to alter the campaign in any significant
way it's a good thing to consult with the regular GM well
ahead of time.

Tie up loose ends. If you open a campaign, be prepared to
run it. I don't suggest starting guest GMing by opening a
new campaign.

Don't use your (or anyone else's) PC as an NPC. There are
a lot of extras game elements in the world. Make use of
them.

Be cautious of using pre-existing NPCs. It is often
better to make your own. If someone else always plays the
NPC, it is often jarring when a new person plays them, plus
you might interfere with the main GM's plans. Imagine if
he's carefully setup an NPC for future game use and you get
him killed.

It never hurts to have the action take place in a
slightly different place in the world for the same reason as
using your own NPCs.

Don't count on people playing their normal characters
when you're guest GMing. The GM/player issue involves trust
you haven't earned yet, so players might want to play
substitute PCs until they learn your GMing style better.

If you are wanting to have time travel (and other weird
things), pocket universes are better than actual time
travel. That way, if the PCs want to go kill their
grandfather (they never liked him anyway) or try to make a
killing in other ways (like the stock market) you don't have
to worry about that.

Start with something short. Serial murders and such are
not a short session.

Make your campaign interactive. If the players are
unable to stop the criminals before a certain time, this is
called a 'wait for it' module. This sort of thing would make
a better book. I suggest writing a book instead of forcing
people to play it.

It's better to have an adventure the entire party can
run than one that depends on the presence of a specific PC.
If that PC is absent your adventure is ruined.

Never give away your secrets. Ever. If it is
interesting, you can use it later even if you don't think
you can right now. If it is dull, nobody cares. Avoid saying
'If you had done X, this would have happened' or 'The bad
guy was actually doing X'. Keep it a mystery - they will be
back for more.

You might even find something later you didn't think was a
mystery that they do. If they want to investigate it, you
can spin it out later. Not only can these things be explored
in the future, but what's not been revealed to the players
is not set in stone. You might find a very nice way to fit
it in to something later or modify it for a nice tie back.

Don't prompt the players. For example, if they are
missing the major clue and not finding it would disrupt the
module, do not intervene. You have a choice of either
bringing it in subtly elsewhere or letting the PCs fail. If
they miss clues a lot, try to be more clear and simple.

I don't recommend any campaign that hinges on the PCs
being taken captive.
a) Most GMs attempt it poorly.
b) In general, PCs would rather die than being taken
captive.
c) Many characters possess ways of getting out of this
over-used trap.

Avoid, at all costs, the tedious question-answer stuff.
If there is a crime scene with a pistol lying on the ground,
put that into the description. Don't make them ask if a
pistol is there. If you tell them there is a bedroom and
they start going through and asking if there is this or
that, your description is not adequate enough. If they grow
bored during it, it is too long. Learn to strike the right
balance.

2. Do Not Record Character Stats

When I'm not the most rules-knowledgeable person at the game
table I will not record characters' stats in my notes. I'll
ask for them each time they're needed, instead.

This runs counter to a lot of game master advice. Normally,
tracking stats yourself lets you make secret rolls, reduces
number chatter and is faster and less interruptive.

However, if I'm not on top of the rules and my players are,
then by openly discussing character statistics as they come
into play my group can catch my errors - and I can learn the
rules faster this way.

For example, recently I was asking for perception rolls. I
had the score in my Google spreadsheet, but I asked for a
PC's stat anyway. To my chagrin, I had not factored
concealment. If I had made this roll in secret, then I
would've been rolling with the wrong modifiers.

The chief benefit of this GMing style is learning the rules
better as you go. Next time, I'll recall my mistake and
check if concealment is in effect.

Once you become an expert in a game's rules you can return
to not asking players each time for a stat and making all
the calculations on your own. In the meantime, it's a group
effort and open discussion creates trust in your GMing and
results.

3. Dice Pool Tip

I'm one of those people who has special sets of dice. I
recently bought a set of d10s for my Vampire game. I bought
an unpainted set of dice from GameScience at Origins and I
hit upon an idea to speed up the process of calculating
success using them for any system that uses a dice pool.

Only color the faces of the dice which count toward a
success! That way, instead of looking at each die to see if
it is a success, all you have to do is count the number of
colored faces you see. I now have a set of white d10s for my
nWoD games in which the 8s and 9s are painted black and the
0s are painted red (because we use the 10 again rule).

If I'd thought of this while I was buying dice, I would have
bought an extra d10 to use as my chance die, and I would
have only painted the 1 and 0 faces (different colors, of
course).

If the system has a 'botch' mechanic like oWoD did, then all
the 1s could be painted a specific color so you could see
all that you needed to see with a quick glance at your dice.

Even dice that are already colored can be altered so that
they can follow this scheme. Use a thin-tipped permanent
marker of the color you want (thanks to Loz Newman for your
tip on coloring dice in issue #452).

4. Treacherous PCs (Again) And Inner-Party Conflicts

Treacherous PCs: Done right, this can be an excellent story
and role playing tool. But done wrong, it will lead to real
life animosity that no GM or player wants in his or her
group.

I believe only the most mature and experienced groups should
attempt to incorporate player vs. player play into their
games, and even then careful consideration should be given.

With over 2 centuries of RPG experience between the 8
regular people in our group, an average age of late
thirties, and people who have gamed together for most of
their RPG careers, I'd like to think we have the level of
sophistication and understanding in which PCs can be pitted
against one another to some degree.

I run a long-standing Rolemaster 2nd Ed game, set with a low
magic level within a world akin to Arthurian legends. The
power of the Christian church is undeniable, noblemen plot
and deceive, humans and the pagan Fey hold an unsteady
truce. It's very sandbox-style.

So what happened when the Christian Paladin and the Pagan
Archmage met for the first time? When the Archmage explained
to the party that his ambition was to bring back power of
the dragons, an ideal the Paladin is wholly opposed to
by virtue of faith? How about when a player, devoid of a
character after his last lay perilously too close to a
collapsing wall, decided to play a Necromancer? And worse
still, the Assassin welcomed into the group, and on the first
night of camp, attempted to murder the party in their sleep?

I won't bore you with tales of our journeys, no matter how
tempted I have become in beginning to write this, but I will
tell you that each and every player enjoys the essence of
this inner-party conflict; in-character threats are
exchanged but nothing more serious (other than mistaken
blows that have never been apologised in character).

The Archmage and Paladin are always at odds. They will never
see eye to eye in their beliefs or their methods, but the
other party members, especially the Barbarian (leader) keep
them in line when things become heated. The banter is great
and it opens doors of opportunities for the campaign to move
forward. There have been plots against one another, but it
seems the knightly Paladin must adhere to ways of chivalry,
and the Archmage knows his powers are not yet strong enough
to deal with his offender.

The Necromancer uses subterfuge, role and a great background
story. He refers to himself as an Arcane Physician and is
indeed the group's mainstay healer. Seems the character
never wanted to be a Necromancer, but to learn his spells he
has become indebted and subservient to a powerful lord. This
character actually denies his evil magics, although
sometimes he is forced to use his more powerful spells for
the greater good. Essentially, this has enabled the player
to play the class he wanted and to fit into a party in which
traditionally he would have not been allowed.

The Assassin (Nightblade) was a very different approach, one
in which I used my knowledge of player mind sets to
manipulate a great introduction. The Assassin was to be a
new addition to the party, after the player had lost his
last character to a bunch of demons in a library. The
players were fully aware that the new addition would be
entering the fray in that session, and from the usual player
curiosity had already gleaned copious amounts of information
concerning the new character.

The party needed to travel north, to a town they had never
visited before, and had little clue to its exact
whereabouts. Enter the trader, a man willing to aid the
group in return for the protection of his goods that also
needed to travel to the exact same spot (suspicious?).

The trader would send one of his trusted servants to lead
the way. In return, the party would protect the chest of
goods and make sure they arrived at their destination. Enter
the new player character - the trader's servant. Of course,
the players instantly accept this new member, after all they
all know him, right? They even go so far to supply him with
food for the three week journey, load his horse for him and,
perhaps the ultimate concession, allow him to share a tent
with the Paladin.

The first day of the journey passed. The group spoke amongst
themselves, sharing tales with their new found party member,
and then came nightfall....

Watches were set, the new party member (Assassin) was given
last watch. That's when it all kicked off.

Rolls were made and I instructed the Assassin's player to
begin attacking the group as they slept. The Archmage was
the first victim. Fortunately, the first attack woke him,
and although severely injured, he was able to alert the rest
of the group. None of the players had a clue what was
happening. My plan was so dastardly I had not even informed
the Assassin's player.

What ensued was bizarre to say the least. There were calls
of 'Knock him out!' and discussions about the fact that
someone must be controlling him. Grapple attempts were made,
defensive spells cast, and a misjudged Paladin attacked an
invisible Archmage in the mistaken thought he had found the
source of the indiscretion.

Eventually, after lots of apologies from the main party and
the Assassin, deadly weapons were brought into play. Again,
I won't bore you with details, but after a few rounds of
combat I took over the "Assassin" and the real one appeared
in the nick of time to save the day.

Treacherous PCs (again) and inner-party conflicts? That's
how we deal with them.